Hello again, Greetings once again from The Bronx!  In my endeavors
to recall instances of mechanical music in the arts, I recently came
across a comedy featured on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  The title of
the movie is "George Washington Slept Here!", starring Jack Benny and
Ann Sheridan.  As the opening titles finish your attention is brought
to a large table-top music box featuring bells, drums, and reed organ.

It plays very briefly as the scene begins, and later when it's
presented to Jack Benny's character by his wife (Ann Sheridan).  The
premise of the movie is akin to "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House",
and the more recent "Money Pit", where the residences have been recently
purchased by unsuspecting families only to find that it would have been
better to condemn than to buy these properties.

Another instance of interest is the comedy series "Cheers".  In it
there is a more modern nickelodeon piano in the background of the bar.
I recall that in one episode someone asks if it works, to which the
reply is that it never has.  Although in one particular episode,
when bartender Woody (Woody Harrelson) is visited by someone from
his hometown, the visitor ends up sitting down at the piano and begins
playing it.  He also becomes infatuated by Rebecca (Kirstie Alley),
and is soon stalking her (in a nice way), writing songs and the like.
This person is played by Harry Connick Jr.

A number of years ago, I enjoyed watching an interesting series on
our local PBS station.  The name of the series was "The Acme School
of Stuff".  In this series they would feature how things work, and
sometimes how they were manufactured.  In one particular episode the
host takes us on a personal tour of the QRS piano roll factory in
Buffalo, New York.

The host even sits at and explains how hand played rolls are recorded,
on the close-to-a-century old marking piano, while he plays it.  Rudy
Martin is also featured demonstrating the operation of the composing
piano as it creates a master roll. (I believe, many of these episodes
are available on YouTube.)

On cable, there is a series called "How It's Made".  I think that there
may also be an episode on the manufacture of QRS piano rolls, and also
the manufacture of music boxes (and pipe organs, too!).

I hope this is of some interest.

D. F. Rowe
Bronx, New York

 [ See the video "Piano roll production at QRS Music" at
 [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3FTaGwfXPM  and also
 [ "Player Piano Rolls - How its Made"  with pianolist Bob Berkman
 [ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL9NudhhSQE  -- Robbie